The Ties That Bind
by Clear Shadow
Summary: Ryoga's cousin is a strange girl. No one can touch her, no one can get close, and she refuses to let anyone beat her. What if this strange child when on that fateful training trip? Well, you'll just have to read and see.
1. Chapter 1

The Ties That Bind

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Disclaimer: Hey guess what? I OWN ALMOST NOTHING!!!! Ha! Expecting some important statement weren't you? Anyway. All unfamiliar names (i.e. Ceres. Eriol Nadeshiko etc) Are mine. Any other familiar Ranma ½ names (i.e. Ranma, Ryoga, Mousse (Mu tzu) Etc.) are property of  Ms. Rumiko Takahashi. Wait…. Who am I forgetting? 

Kuduo: Ahem….

Oh yeah! Sorry Duo-kun! Kuduo doesn't belong to me either. He belongs to my palsy-walsy Sharpsnout! And Okashi is property of Miss Yume Tenshi. Hah! Now I'm covered!! So don't sue me. Ever. For any reason. Or else I'll sick my killer bunny on you.

Ceres: Again with the damn bunny?

Yep. I luuuuuuv my Commander Bun-Bun!

Ceres: Then why the name?

Uhhh….

Ceres: Thought so.

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Blah, blah, blah =The person is speaking in Chinese.

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Scattered paths of moonlight filtered down through the treetops of a dense forest, illuminating the hair and face of one who should've been in bed. The tiny girl-child was wandering; aimlessly it seemed, in her pajamas and without shoes. Not that it mattered. She paid little attention, if she was paying any at all, to the sharp pain in her heels as she stepped on various bits of nature. She was on a mission. She needed to find her cousin, and before it stared pouring. After a while she heard the sound of what sounded like the said cousin. A scared version of her cousin that was. She sidestepped a tree to come face-to-face with his back.

"I'm _lost," he was saying, "I was only walking across __town."_

"Ohayo Ryo-kun," Misuka Ceres said cheerfully, "Are you lost?" Hibiki Ryoga whirled around and flew at his cousin, burying his face in her shoulder so she couldn't see his fear.

"Rei-chan I'm so glad you found me!!" he wailed. Ceres patted his head.

"Ryo-kun, it's not like you to be so whiny. You must've been out here for a while. Um, what _are you doing out here?"_

"Mom and Dad went grocery shopping and left me an' Kuduo alone. They left last week and we got hungry."

"Are _both of you wandering around?"_

"…………Yeah," Ceres made a face. Ryoga's sense of direction was bad enough but his little brother's was even worse. She grabbed his hand.

"Come on. Let's go find Kuduo."

"Rei-chan?" Ryoga asked when, a long while later they still hadn't found Kuduo.

"What?"

"How come you always know where to find me but not Kuduo?"

"Well, I see things."

"What things?" the ten year-old girl sighed.

"In the fire. I saw that you were lost and alone and in here. I always see things about you. Sometimes I see other things but mainly it's just you. And I've never seen Duo-kun in the fire. Mom once said that all females with Hibiki blood can do it," further up ahead they heard some voices. Ceres yanked her cousin into a crevice between two houses.

"The poor child. His parents are lost _again?" _

"Yeah. Aki called me last week to say that they were going shopping and if they didn't call back in a week to go check up on Ryoga and Kuduo. But when I got there the two of them were gone."

 "And they have their parent's sense of direction?" 

"Yes. Er, you haven't seen my daughter looking for Ryoga? Calling his name? He always gets lost. Poor thing, but Ceres always manages to find him."

"She doesn't have the Hibiki curse?"

"No."

"But she has the fangs right?"

"Yeah. She also has the female Hibiki obsession with fire. Almost burnt the house down more times than I care to count. Nadeshiko says that Ceres can find her cousin in the fire.... but...."

"That's weird."

"Yeah. Gotta be a Hibiki thing."

"Probably. Poor Ceres. She's so busy chasing after her cousins that she doesn't have any time for any of the things that girls her age are usually into."

"That's the thing. All Ceres wants in life is to train in martial arts and to play with fire. We've tried to get her to take flower arranging or tea ceremony lessons but she won't have it. She'd rather spar with Ryoga," Ceres clenched her fists. How dare they say things like that about her Hibiki blood! And her own father doing nothing to stop them! Well she'd stop them herself if she had too! Ryoga was tugging her arm.

"Come _on Rei-chan! Let's just go home!" after a moment Ceres allowed herself to be led to the street._

"Doesn't that _bother you?"_

"Yeah, but what can I do?" he asked, "I can't go out there and beat up random grown-ups...at least...not yet..."

"Someday.... you and me.... we'll teach people to talk badly of Hibiki blood. Won't we?" she turned to Ryoga who clenched his fist.

"Snacky CAKE!" Ceres grinned and clenched her fist as well.

"CAKE!"

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            To say that Misuka Nadeshiko was glad to see her daughter and oldest nephew would be like saying that the Pacific is a bit wet or that the San Andreas Fault is a tiny bit unstable. The moment Ceres and Ryoga walked in the door Nadeshiko had them both in a tight embrace, lecturing Ceres the whole time.

            "_Never in my entire life have I been so worried! Went in to check on you! Gone! Bed empty! Window open! Thought you'd fallen out in your sleep!"_

            "I left a _note mummy."_

            "It doesn't matter! All it said was that you knew where he went! How was I to know where you were! And of course I can't go _looking for you! I'd get lost myself! Just wait until your father gets home!" she took a deep breath and Ceres cringed, "But I guess I can't blame you dear, it's in your nature to search after your cousin. And I certainly can't blame __you Ryoga. I don't suppose you've managed to find Kuduo?" Ceres shook her head, "Alright then. I'm going off to look for him."_

            "But mum, you'll get lost."

            "Yeah probably but your father and I have a system. Don't _worry Ceres. We'll be back soon. I promise," finally letting go of the children Nadeshiko walked into the night._

            "Why do you have that look on your face Rei-chan?" Ceres braved a smile.

            "No reason."

            "Liar."

"Just a funny feeling that's all. Come on."

"Where?"

"Kitchen. I thought you were hungry," Ryoga's face lit up.

"I am!" inside the kitchen they found that Nadeshiko had left a candle burning. Ceres leaned over to blow it out and froze, spellbound by the dancing flame. Slowly she closed her eyes. *FLASH!* _A speeding car. *FLASH!* __"Nadeshiko look out!" *FLASH!* __The screech of tires. *FLASH!* __The sound of flesh hitting metal. *FLASH!* __"Little boy…little boy are you alright?" *FLASH!* __"I'm ok…please help my aunt and uncle. They were hit." *FLASH!* __"Oh my god…somebody…somebody get Ceres. And…and…somebody has to find the Hibikis. Ceres didn't realize that tears were running down her cheeks._

"Rei-chan what's wrong? Did you see something? You _did didn't you?"_

"It's nothing," she whispered, "Nothing at all…" just then somebody burst into the kitchen. Ceres quickly wiped her eyes before turning to the woman.

"Ceres? Oh! There you are," the woman, Ceres recognized her as their next-door neighbor, bent down and took the girl's hands, "Ceres your parents….Ceres there's just been an accident. A truck hit your parents. I….I don't think they made it…." The woman's eyes flicked from Ceres's emotionless face to the still burning candle, "You saw it didn't you? Just now…in the flame…am I right?"

"Yes. Fushigo-sama, is Kuduo all right? He wasn't hit was he?"

"Kuduo's fine. He's still with the others."

"Can I go and get him? Me an' Ryoga?" Fushigo Eiko nodded.

"As long as you stay together," Ceres bowed her thanks and left, Ryoga a scant step behind her.

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The scene of an automobile accident is never pretty. Even worse is if the people involved are ones that you know. Still, Ceres showed no sign of breaking down. Not when she saw her parent's bodies being loaded into an ambulance, not even when she spotted the pool of blood on the street. Ryoga, to his credit was trying very hard not to cry, for Ceres's sake. Kuduo, who had seen the accident, tried as well but being so young couldn't help it. Despite Ceres's soothing he was bawling still when Aki and Miyako Hibiki finally arrived. 

"What…what happened? How…how…" Aki couldn't believe that his baby sister, whom he had protected since childhood, was gone. He further couldn't believe that his best friend had died as well, or that Ceres refused to cry.

"What good will crying do?" Ceres said in a tone unbefitting a ten year old, "It won't bring them back will it?" some of the bystanders may have found this extremely stolid  of her but Ryoga knew that she was just waiting until she was alone before she burst into hysterics. Miyako put her arms around the girl and youngest son.

"Ceres it _is ok to cry in public you know that don't you?"_

"I know."

"No one will think you're weak because of it."

"I know. But…I knew…I cried then…and I'll cry later too…" _But…Aunt…crying is emotion Ceres was thinking, __And…emotion…is weakness……didn't you know that?_


	2. Chapter 2

The Ties that Bind

Chapter two

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Disclaimer: Fill it in yourself

*****************************Three years later*****************************

"_That's the girl that trounces you everyday Ryoga?" the young teen nodded sadly._

"Yep, that's her," his friend laughed, "Hey. If you  think you can take her, Eriol, then be my guest," Ugami Eriol smirked. There was no way he'd have any problems with Ryoga's cousin. The girl was a head shorter than he was, and currently feeding some woodland creature. Since her back was turned to him, Eriol figured he'd sneak up on her and tickle her ribs a bit. Piece of cake considering she had headphones on and was whistling _Mizu-Kagami cheerfully. He handed his pack to Ryoga._

"Hold this while I get her."

"If you say so. I'll be ready with the band-aids," Eriol grinned and crept towards the unsuspecting girl. He was two steps behind her when suddenly, before he could react or even blink for that matter, she back flipped over him, kicked him in the small of his back and landed, kneeling, with her fingernails only just touching the back of his neck. Eriol had been knocked facedown in the dirt in less than two seconds.

"One wrong move and you'll be breathing in a hole in the back of your neck," a voice purred in his ear, "So don't move," behind them Ryoga cracked up.

"How- how did you know? You had your headphones on. You were feeding a-a woodchuck! You were _whistling!!!"_

"Actually it was a rabbit. And you walk very heavily did you know that? The ground was vibrating ever so slightly the closer you got. _And my little rabbit friend was getting twitchy so I knew someone was behind me," she got up off of him, dusted off her school uniform, and checked to make sure her covered buns were still intact, "By the way. My name's Misuka Ceres. What's yours?" Eriol stood up, wincing._

"Ugami Eriol," Ceres bowed politely, "I'd bow back 'cept-"

"Except your back really hurts."

"Yeah."

"Told ya Eriol," Ryoga said.

"Yeah, yeah. You told me. Has anyone managed to get closer than two steps away from you?"

"Ryoga. When we were ten. Since then I've developed a strong fight zone," Eriol raised an eyebrow.

"Fight zone?"

"Like, you know how cows run away when you get a certain distance from them?"

"Yeah."

"Ceres's got the same thing only instead of running she pounds," Kuduo had just come outside, "Me an' Ryoga try to get close enough to poke her but she beats us up _every time," Ceres shrugged._

"I like my personal space," she told them simply. Now if the three of you will excuse me I have homework to do," Ceres went to a strict all-girls school while the three boys went to a not-so-strict, all-boy's school. Before Ceres could reach the door however Ryoga stopped her.

"Wait. I have another…friend….sorta….coming over and we need a fourth sparring partner."

"What about me?" Kuduo asked.

"What about Kuduo?" Ceres asked at the same time.

"He's not… no offense little brother…as advanced as the rest of us."

"The rest of you aren't as advanced as I am," Ceres countered.

"Ahh…well the thing is Rei-chan…um…"

"What he's trying to say is that we need someone who um…."

"You want to sneak up on me and see who can actually get close enough to touch me is that it?"

"Um…yeah," Ceres sighed.

"What do I get out of the deal? Beating up three boys over and over will get real boring _real fast."_

"I'll do your homework," Ryoga offered.

"Even my Etiquette?"

"Uhh…" Etiquette was Ceres's least favorite subject. She was good at it, but it bored her silly. Eriol nudged his friend in the ribs, "Fine. Even Etiquette."

"Deal. Let me go change," she ran into the house and returned ten minutes later wearing a sleeveless turtleneck leotard and pleated skirt. Her hair, which had previously been in covered buns was now in twin braids. By then Ryoga's other "friend" had arrived. Ceres didn't know it, but the reason Ryoga had invited this boy over to spar with was so he could see him get trounced. When Ceres stepped outside the newcomer whistled.

"I hope she's my target today," he said. Ryoga smiled but Eriol looked uncomfortable.

"Yeah. Ranma meet my cousin, Misuka Ceres. Ceres, Saotome Ranma," They both bowed, though Ceres scowled at the way Ranma was looking at her. 

"No offense Ryoga but she doesn't look very hard to beat."

"You don't have to beat her Ranma, just get close to her."

"You're kidding. That's _it?" the others nodded as Ceres finished her descent down the porch steps. Ranma shrugged and walked up to Ceres. Two steps away from her Ceres leapt up into the air and landed, kneeling, on Ranma's shoulders. Surprised by her attack, he overbalanced and crashed face first onto the ground. Ceres, locked her knees tight, squeezing slightly more than she needed to._

"I wouldn't move if I were you," she informed him.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I'll squeeze and it'll probably hurt."

"Got it."

"You give?"

"…..yeah I give," Ceres let him up and took a couple of steps backwards. Before she could blink Ranma was up by her face.

"What the-" he grinned and planted a kiss on her cheek. Enraged Ceres hooked a leg around his neck and brought him down again, then flipped up and landed on her hands on his back, digging in with her nails. Ranma struggled but managed to throw her off. She landed two feet in front of him in a defensive stance, "You're good."

"Thank-you."

"However…"

"Huh?"

"You're not quite good enough!" Ceres launched herself at him and flipped backwards kicking him in the chest three or four times before landing. Ranma staggered for a moment before leaping at her and pinning her down by the shoulder.

"You're quick," he said, "But not quick enough," grinning still he kissed her forehead. Ceres growled and using her knees threw him off. He landed a foot away and she jumped after him landing another kick, this time on his cheek. Ranma stepped back.

"Give it up Ceres," he taunted, "Or better yet, don't. Maybe next time I'll land one on your mouth!" Ceres narrowed her eyes. It was time to end this. She ran at him and jumped up, kicking into him horizontally while spinning. Then flipped back onto her feet. Ranma was surprised by her attack but not down yet. Fine, she'd make him go down and stay there.

"Wanna see something cool Eriol?" 

"Uh. Yeah ok," Ceres smiled with grim good humor.

"Lightning kick!" she side kicked Ranma's chest 30, 40 possibly 50, it was hard to tell, times. Then just to make sure Ceres landed a roundhouse kick on the side of Ranma's head. Ranma stepped back, dazed then fell over. Ceres threw a braid over her shoulder haughtily.

"Yep. That was cool," Kuduo told her. Curious, Ceres walked over to the fallen Saotome boy and nudged him. Ranma's eyes snapped open as he grabbed her ankle and knocked her off her feet.

"This could go on for a very long time," Eriol commented, "Why don't you two call it a draw and be done with it?"

"……..I guess."

"Yeah, since we _are an even match……" Ranma extended a hand to Ceres who took it grudgingly , then to her surprise he yanked her close and kissed her lightly on  the lips. Ceres let out a frustrated exclamation  and kneed him in the balls._

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"Ceres! Hi! Hey wait up!" she didn't seem to hear so Eriol ran to catch up with her, staying well out of striking distance. "CERES!!!!" finally she heard him and turned around. Her violet eyes lit up with a smile when she saw who it was.

"HI!!" Eriol cringed and covered his ears. Since she had her headphones on she had no idea how loud she was being. Eriol tried to tell her, gave up and pointed to his ears. Ceres, after a sheepish grin, lowered the headphone, revealing what she had been listening to. (_Objection (Tango) by Shakira in case you wondered.)_

"Heh, heh. Sorry."

"S'ok. Um. Mind if I walk you?"

"What about Ryoga?"

"Left him with a friend of mine."

"Who?" Eriol muttered something incoherent, "_Who?"_

"Um. That's not the point really….just as long as he gets home right?"

"I guess…."  
            "Anyway," he fell into step beside her, "Ranma and his father's going away soon."

"Yeah? I'll miss him. He's still a jerk though. No sensitivity at all. Or grammatical sense for that matter. Still, I guess he's not a bad guy."

"Yeah. Uh I'm gonna go with him."

"Yeah? I'll miss you too," Eriol blushed pure crimson.

"Um. Actually the point to this whole spiel is um. I, well both of us actually, were wondering if you wanted to come," Ceres was silent for a long time.

"I want to. Really. Despite the fact I'd bee the only girl among three boys. But-"

"But?"

"But I'm the only one who can walk down the street and not get lost. My uncle and aunt and cousins _really depend on me."_

"Oh."

"Why are you three going anyway?"

"Oh. It's a voyage of training," Eriol didn't realize but he had just said the magic words.

"Training?!? Of course I'll go!!"

"But you said-"

"Oh forget what I said. Uncle Aki-sama will surely let me go if it's for _training. He's a Hibiki! He has too! Besides him and Aunt Miyako-sama have gotten on fine before I came to live with them….oh wait…"_

"What?"

"Ryoga….he's still really angry about Ranma and the whole…you know."

"The bread feud? Yeah. It's still going strong."

"Poor Ryo-kun comes home with bruises on his face. Yesterday his nose was almost broken," she sighed, "Still….a _training voyage….I don't think I wanted __anything as much as this….." she gave another wistful sigh and hugged her book bag, "Training in some exotic place. It sounds terribly exciting," she place a hand on her doorknob, a thoughtful expression written all over her face, "Ah well. Thanks for walking me home Eriol-kun. Though you may want to check on Ryoga. I wouldn't want him or Ranma to get hurt today," she disappeared as Eriol blinked._

"How in the hell did she know it was Ranma?"

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"_Please?" Ceres's uncle, Hibiki Aki, rubbed his face tiredly. His only niece reminded him so much of his baby sister. Nadeshiko used to look at him with that same sad-eyed expression whenever she wanted something. Only Ceres was more persistent, she had been begging him for the past half-hour to go on this….what was it? Training voyage._

"Saotome?" Ceres nodded eagerly, " Your father knew a Saotome. They used to train together….weird training it was too. Something about pantyhose I think…. Anyway….If I remember that particular teacher had several students….Saotome Genma….Tendo Soun….Misuka Kesuke, your father obviously…..and Ugami Shigeru. In fact it was through that training that your parents met. They tried to steal the underwear from an Amazon Training Dojo. The girl's training mistress was some wrinkled up old lady named Perfume or sometime….."

"Cologne dear," his wife added helpfully. 

"Yeah that was it," Ceres knew very well that her uncle was stalling in hopes that she would get bored and wander off. Well, it worked with his sons, "Now she had Nadeshiko and Miyako here as students along with a girl named Asuka Sakura…..Hantrao Nodoka….and a quiet girl named Mishima Hitome. I _think that after beating the daylights out of the boys your mother and her friends started dating them. Well sorta."_

"All of the boys kept fighting over Nadeshiko," Miyako told Ceres and the boys, who had come to see if their cousin actually got to go on the training journey, "Nadeshiko, of course, simply _adored the attention. Well when Aki heard he came….__right over."_

"After five or two hundred wrong turns right?" Kuduo asked, and got cuffed upside the head as a result.

"Yeah, yeah," Aki replied, "But the point is I put a stop to it."

"He said whoever could beat him could have his baby sister."

"And Uncle Kesuke-sama did it," Ryoga said.

"'Cause he was your best friend and knew all the moves you had!" added Kuduo who got cuffed again.

"Yeah and well after that couples began pairing off….much to the displeasure of the Amazon trainer but I believe the freaky little hentai was happy."

"Well why not? In his eyes he had clear access to all the pantyhose he could ever want," Miyako chuckled, "Unfortunately he didn't know that his students were much to honorable to steal their girlfriends unmentionables."

"They didn't wanna get trounced again right?" (Come on who do you _think made that remark? I'll give you a hint. This time he was dope-slapped.)_

"Maybe Ranma's father is the same one," Aki glared at the girl. Leave it to her to not get distracted from the damn trip.

"And how long are you going to be away?"

"As long as it takes!" she exclaimed.

"Takes for what?" Ryoga wanted to know.

"Until I'm the best!" Aki looked to his wife for help but Miyako merely grinned.

"Sorry. She's got _your Hibiki blood. I'm not touching this one. Let her go. Besides it's not like you can stop her."_

"Thanks hon," Aki said sarcastically. Then heaving a sigh he turned to Ceres, "Fine. You may go. But, you had better send regular letters. I don't care if you have to write three months worth before sending them. If I don't receive word from you I _will go after you. And woe betide you if I have to come looking for you." Ceres squealed happily before running off to get ready. Ryoga, feeling put out, followed._

"Um. Ryo-kun," Ceres said after a while of stony silence, "Can I ask you what will probably seem as a very stupid question?"

"I guess."

"Why do you have a foot print on your face?"

"Because," Ceres looked at him, hurt. He had never used that tone with her before.

"Did I do something wrong?" when  he didn't respond she pressed further, "Why are you angry Ryo-kun?"

"You are _leaving to go __training with my __enemy. Why shouldn't I be a little mad?"_

"Is that why Ranma's footprint is decorating your face? Because he told you about wanting me to go with him and Eriol while he walked you home?" Ryoga growled showing a bit of fang, "Ok, ok, ok," Ceres had seen her cousin mad on several occasions. She had no desire to add a sunroof to her room, "How about instead of seeing it _that way. Why don't you view this whole thing as me going somewhere with your best friend?"_

"Why he is friends with Ranma I'll never know."

"You're being catty. That's my job. I'm the teenage girl, not you. And besides I feel kinda bad for Eriol. It's got to be really hard not to take sides when your two best friends are constantly at each other's throats. And over something as stupid as _bread. I mean __really."_

"It's the principle Rei-chan."

"Whatever. The fact is Eriol's got to have a lot of self control not to jump into this ridiculous squabble," Ryoga looked at his cousin. Ceres had a rosy tinge to her cheeks.

"You like him," he said, surprised. Ceres looked up from her packing.

"Who Ranma? Yeah well he's _okay I guess…."_

"No you rabbit-loving freak of course not Ranma. _Eriol," Ceres shrugged nonchalantly._

"Sure he's nice. Like I said a lot of self-control. Other than that he's not much of a fighter."

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

"Oh Ryo-kun you're so weird. Anyway if you're so bent on defeating Ranma why don't you just _challenge him? I mean. I've seen your fighting techniques and I've seen his. He's good I will admit that but Ryo-kun you're better. And ever since you've been practicing with that ridiculously heavy umbrella you're obviously stronger. In __fact," she now fixed her cousin with a scorching glare, "It makes me wonder why I constantly beat you up."_

"Uh…heh, heh…so I should _challenge Ranma?" Ceres narrowed one eye at her cousin then returned to her packing._

"Yeah, That empty lot down the street would be a good place. Lots of maneuverability. You can throw your bandanas without nailing innocent bystanders…"

"I only did that once!" Ceres looked at him, "Ok twice…"

"Five times Ryo-kun. Well technically _six but I don't count Kuduo."_

"…..Um Rei-Chan?"

"Yeah?"

"You'll walk me there right?"

"R_yog__aaa! Are you kidding?" she put her hands on Ryoga's shoulders, "Listen to me very carefully alright? I'm gonna give you directions even Kuduo could follow."_

"I'm not sure if that's a compliment."

"It isn't. Now listen. I want you to walk out of the door and _go straight," Ryoga sweatdropped._

"_That's your amazing advice?"_

"Yep that's it. Just walk in a straight line. Come on, even _you can do that."_


	3. Chapter 3

The Ties that Bind

Chapter Three

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Disclaimer should go here 

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            "Ceres we can't wait for him any longer. It's been three days since the date of the challenge. Pop's getting pissed off."

            "I don't understand. All he had to do was walk in a straight line. Even Kuduo can do that."

            "Was that a compliment?" Eriol wanted to know.

"No."

"Ceres just forget it. Knowing him we'll probably bump into him," Ranma waved his hand to indicate the world, "Ya know…out….there…Oh forget it let's just _go," Eriol touched the girl's sleeve._

"He's right, come on Ceres," she scanned the horizon one last time then coldly shook off Eriol's hand. _I can't count on anyone it seems…only myself. Is that what I'm to learn from this trip? That we're all better off alone? So be it. I've been alone ever since Mother and Father died. She thought bitterly then sighed and hurried to catch up to Ranma._

"You've shattered her Ryoga," Eriol murmured, "She placed all of her faith on this and you let her down…." Eriol shook his head and chased after Ceres.

Saotome Genma really wasn't sure about this Ceres girl. Oh, he knew that women could be tough fighters, but, this girl was too thin. There didn't appear to be any muscle to her. She really didn't look able to pull her weight in a fight. She was pretty though, _I give it a copula years before the boys start fightin' over her. Reminds me of someone…can't think who though… she approached with a dancer's grace, and a schoolgirl's shyness, wide violet eyes taking him in briefly before dropping into a bow._

"Konnichiwa Sensei," Genma returned the bow, grinning in spite of himself.

"This one's more polite than the two of ya put together," he commented. He circled the girl who was standing very still. _Too stiff…she must think I'm about to attack her or somethin', "You're a fighter?"_

"Yes sensei."

"Ya don' look like one. Ya know that? Ya really don't appear to be able ta hold your own in a fight."

"That's the point sensei," he looked at her, she didn't appear to be kidding.

"What's your name again?"

"Misuka Ceres."

"Misu- _Kesuke's kid? Holy fuck. Now I see it. Ya look just like your mother, ya know that?" Ceres nodded, "Hm… that means you got her thing with fire don'tcha?"_

"Yes. I use it to find my cousin."

"Cousin?"

"Hibiki Ryoga," Genma turned to Ranma.

"Wasn't that the kid you were supposed to fight?"

"Never showed up. He's got the crappiest sense of direction."

"Hm. I hope _you got a better sense of direction," he told Ceres._

"Pop whaddya doin' to her?"

"Just wondering is she'll be able to keep up, boy."

"I wouldn't worry," Eriol said, "Ceres is much tougher than she looks," Genma grunted.

"Alright then. Don' think I'll be treating you any differently. And I'm _defiantly not takin' it easy on ya just 'cause you're a girl, got it?"_

"I don't expect you to go easy on me. I'd be insulted if you did and then I'd have to kill you," Genma nodded approvingly, she would be alright, Kesuke's daughter. Ranma made a face and hopped onto a near by fence.

"Can we _go?" Genma shot his son a look then shoved Eriol onto the fence._

"Ya won't learn to fence walk on the ground boy."

"Why do I have to learn at all?"

"What's the matter Eriol," Ranma taunted, "Afraid of heights?"

"Yeah," Ranma almost fell off.

"Seriously?"

"Uh-huh." 

"Oh," Genma rolled his eyes and turned to Ceres.

"I wouldn't really expect you to go up there since you're wearin' a skir-" he was cut off when Ceres leapt lightly onto the fence, just in front of Ranma who almost fell off again.

"What the Hell?!?"

"You said that you wouldn't treat me different. If the boys can fence walk then so can I."

"Aren't you worried about people looking up your skirt?" Eriol asked. Ceres turned around and flipped up her skirt. Instead of underwear, the only things the boys could see were the shorts she had sewn the skirt onto.

"Hibiki rule number 17," she recited, "Be prepared of all events no matter how improbable they appear."

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"We'll stop here for the night," the two boys sighed, Eriol with relief,  Ranma with hunger. Ceres, who was used to long periods of foodless walking could've gone on for another few hours, "Now, who can cook?" the boys looked at Ceres who shook her head.

"Sorry. I was always to busy to learn."

"Busy with what?" Ranma asked, not sure if he really wanted to know.

"Training mostly."

"Figures."

"I can cook a little," Eriol admitted, "Mom sorta wanted a girl. If dad hadn't stepped in I'd probably be in dresses by now," he grinned sheepishly, "Mom's a bit…."

"Is your mother Asuka Sakura?" Genma asked.

"Yeah."

"'Nuff said," Ceres laughed.

"Anyway, I'm a decent cook."

"Good at least one of is," Ranma commented. Ceres stiffened.

"I never said I was a _bad cook."_

"Good," Genma told them, "You can help Eriol then. Come on, boy go get firewood."

"What do you plan on doing _sensei?" Ranma's 'sensei' sounded very sarcastic._

"Uh… that's not important," Ceres raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"Good meal you two," Genma said later after they had all finished eating.

"It was all Eriol I swear," Ceres said, "He's a better cook than I could ever _dream to be."_

"I'm not sure if that's something to be proud of," Eriol admitted, blushing.

"It is," Genma reassured him, " Isn't that right, boy?"

"Huh?" Ranma hadn't been paying attention. He was too busy writing something.

"Hey Ranma, what's that?" Ceres asked.

"Letter."

"Ooo! To a _girl?"_

"Yeah."

"_Really?" Ranma looked up, he had missed the underlining tone in Ceres's voice._

"Yeah. I'm writing to my cousin, Okashi."

"Ohhhh…"

"Who did you _think I was writing to?"_

"Girlfriend."

"A _what?!?"_

"A girlfriend. You're thirteen you could have one, how would I know?"

"Yeah I guess…"

"How _is Okashi?" Eriol asked._

"Dunno haven't heard from her in a while. That's why I'm writing."

"How old is she?"

"'Round our age," he replied vaguely.

"Thanks…I think. I guess I should write to my uncle…"

"You talk about your aunt and uncle a lot have you noticed?" Eriol said.

"Yeah," Ranma finally looked up from his letter, "What about your parents? You mad at them or somethin'?" Ceres looked at her hands. _Don't cry. It's ok. You can tell them…Remember tears are weakness…emotion__ is weakness. Be strong Ceres._

"They died. Three years ago."

"Oh Ceres," Eriol said moving closer, ready for the onslaught of tears, "I'm so sorry."

"Kesuke and Nadeshiko? How did they die?" Genma asked, displaying a rare streak of compassion.

"Car accident… Dad had just been back from Ryoga's house. His parents had been shopping and they got lost. So had Ryoga and Kuduo. They had gotten hungry so they went looking for my family. My fire reading skills pretty much center around Ryoga. I can find him every time I look. I couldn't find Kuduo and Dad was still out there so mom went to help him look. I guess they had just found him when they were hit by…" Eriol made a move to touch her arm then drew back his hand, "They got nailed by a truck. Kuduo didn't see it coming so mom dove in to save him and dad dove in to save her. They died instantly."

"Well, yeah, I guess getting hit by a truck would do that," Eriol glared at Ranma but Ceres showed no emotion whatsoever.

"That's…Oh Ceres…" Genma said then cleared his throat, "Ya know girlie, most females would be bawling right now," he said gruffly, "Why ain't you?" Ceres looked at him coldly.

"Crying would be showing emotion which would be showing weakness. I must be serene as a lake on a placid day. Hiding all beneath a smooth exterior. This is my heart. This is what I strive to be."

"Any other useful warrior stoics?" Ranma asked dryly, Ceres opened her mouth to give an angry reply then shut it and grinned instead.


	4. Chapter 4

The Ties that Bind

Chapter Four

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Discliamer: I own nothing. So there.

***********************Three Years Later (Juesenkyo)************************

"Here sir is Legendary 'Training Ground of Accursed Springs.'"

"This place isn't so impressive," Ranma scoffed.

"What does he mean accursed springs?" Eriol wanted to know. Ceres shrugged.

"You very strange one no? This place very dangerous. Nobody use now."

"Dangerous?"

"Is more than one hundred spring here……and every one have own tragic legend."

"I'm really not sure about this," Eriol said glancing at the very skinny bamboo shoots in each of the springs, "I _really don't want to find out what he means by accursed."_

"Don't be such a chicken-yarou."

"WHAT?!?" Ceres crossed her arms.

"Alright then you two go up there."

"What's wrong Ceres? "'fraid you'll fall off?" Ranma taunted.

"If she was you wouldn't know it, boy." Genma said, "Ranma, follow me!" he added jumping up. Ranma followed suit though the guide protested. Ceres tugged his sleeve.

"Excuse me, but what _exactly do you mean by accursed?" she knew the most Chinese out of all of them, and it was Ceres who found the guide._

"I'm not really supposed to tell you. Just… just don't touch the water."

"_That's all you can give me?!?" the guide nodded. Eriol began biffing her shoulder._

"Ceres…_Ceres," she whirled on him._

"_What??" Eriol was too stunned to answer instead he merely pointed to where Ranma and Genma were. Ceres's jaw dropped. Instead of his father Ranma was now fighting a gigantic panda._

"Wha-? Wha-? Wha-?" Ranma sputtered.

"That is 'Spring of Drowned Panda'! There is tragic legend, very tragic, of Panda who drown there two thousand year ago. Now whoever fall in that spring take body of panda!" Ranma gulped

"_Wait a second! You never said anything about-" before he could finish Ranma to was knocked into a spring._

"Ohhhhhh. Not 'Spring of Drowned Girl'!"

"Spring of-" Ceres began.

" Drowned Girl? Do I even need to ask?" Eriol finished.

"There is tragic legend, _very tragic, of young girl who drown in spring one thousand five hundred year ago. Now whoever fall in that spring take body of young girl," Ceres looked at Ranma in shock. He had indeed turned into a young girl. One who was only slightly bustier then Ceres. She looked down and jumped a way from the edge of the spring she had been standing near. Then prodded the panda._

"Sensei?" he nodded and Ceres punched him.

"You idiot! What the hell is wrong with you anyway?!?" she shouted, "If you can't read Chinese then buy the Chinese-Japanese guide book!!!"

"I thought you speak Chinese," the guide said.

"Speak, yes. Read, not really," she punched the panda again and he covered his head in fear.

"Is there a Spring of Drowned Man?" Eriol asked.

"He can't give out information about the springs until you fall into one, right?" the guide nodded and Ceres hit Genma one more time.

"Maybe we can drop them into random springs until we find the right one."

"Eriol there are over a hundred springs here remember? Besides there might not even _be a spring of drowned man. The guide can't reveal that," Ranma hadn't spoken since resurfacing from the spring. She had only stared at her new body, then, as if she didn't dare believe it, she poked one breast and then the other._

"Ranma? What exactly are you doing?" Ceres wanted to know. The girl blushed so that her face matched her fiery red-hair.

"N-nothing," she stammered, then she too hit her father adding yet another bruise, "You idiot!" she shrieked, "What the Hell were you thinking?!?"

"Ok just…just calm down," Eriol said placidly, "Shouting isn't going to help you two any," Ranma glared for a record three seconds then burst into tears.

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"It's a _bad idea Ranma-Chan."_

"Nah. It'll be funny and don't call me that."

"Well I can't call you Ranma-_kun. And I'm telling you it isn't funny! Pushing Ceres into one of these stupid __Springs? No way."_

"But it'll be the same one I fell into so it's ok. She'll flip out then notice that she's a bit more curvy-"

"Then she'll kill us. You know that theory of hers about how she never wants to show emotion because it makes her weak?"

"Yeah?"

"It doesn't apply to anger!!" he shouted. The others stared at him until he blushed. Ranma clapped her hand over Eriol's mouth.

"Shhh! You wanna give us away or what? Moron. Where's your sense of fun? Trust me she'll laugh."

"After she kills us."

"Come on Eriol where's the harm?"

"Are you _sure you know which spring it was?"_

"Natch. I'll worry about that _and getting her over to it. All you have to do is push."_

"_I have to push?!?"_

"Uh-huh."

"Ohhhh. This isn't gonna end well. I can see it….."

"Don't be such a Chicken-yarou."

"WHAT?!?!"

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"Heeey Ceres…." Ceres looked up from her sewing, "Hey that's pretty good," Ranma said, "Where'd you get the material?" she asked, curious.

"Every town we stopped in over the past three years. Don't you notice _anything? I make my own clothes. I've done so ever since I hit puberty."_

"Oh yeah…. Anyway! I got somethin' to show ya!" before Ceres could do or say anything Ranma had her hand and was dragging her to a nearby spring.

"Um-hm….Ranma it's a spring of drowned….something."

"No, no, no look _in the spring. There's somethin in there."_

"Water?"

"Just look!" Ceres shrugged and bent over the pool of water. Meanwhile unknown to her, and muttering swears about how damn prideful he was,  Eriol snuck up behind her. He was a step behind her, the closest he'd ever gotten when she jumped up and around, instinctively adopting a defensive stance. Eriol, who now figured that he must've been dropped on his head as a child, and knowing his mother that was very possible, shut his eyes and pushed her. Ceres, to her credit, managed to teeter precariously on the edge of the spring by wind milling her arms. Then, as if in a daze, and by now Eriol seriously figured that he had a death wish or something and oh boy was _this the last time he would ever listen to Ranma, he put one finger on Ceres's forehead._

"Sorry 'bout this Ceres. Really," he murmured just as Ceres fell in.

            It seemed like hours had passed, ten seconds actually, and Ceres still hadn't some up.

"Why you do that?" Ranma and Eriol jumped, they hadn't seen the guide standing there behind them, "That 'Spring of Drowned Rabbit'. Very tragic legend of fluffy bunny who drown there one thousand five hundred year ago."

"Dr-dr- Drowned _Rabbit?" Eriol stammered. __Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. "Ranma said it was Drowned Girl…" the guide shook his head and pointed vaguely to the right. _

"That spring over that way," Eriol looked from the water to Ranma's equally shocked face then punched her in the eye.

"IDIOT!!" meanwhile a white rabbit had crawled unseen out of the water and was hopping as fast as it's lapine legs could go into the woods so it wouldn't burst into tears.


	5. Chapter 5

The Ties that Bind

Chapter five 

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Disclaimer: Clear Shadow is too poor to own much.

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The particular breed of rabbit of which Ceres had now become was not indigenous to China. In fact it had been the beloved pet of the young girl who had drowned in the Spring of Drowned Girl. So any Chinese passerby would have found it odd that one was now leaning against a tree root. Of course they might have found it odd that _any rabbit was leaning against a tree root but this one in particular. Especially since it was doing something it hadn't done for six years. Misuka Ceres was bawling her eyes out. She didn't even chastise herself for showing emotion. She couldn't believe that __Eriol of all people would do such a thing. Ranma had something to do with it. Of that she was sure. There was no way Eriol would be that cruel, or stupid, on his own. __I shouldn't have come. Ryo-kun was right. Oh what'll uncle Aki __think when he finds out that his only niece is now a…a…a pet__?! She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that for the first time, she was totally unaware of her surroundings. Unfortunately there will always be those who use that sort of thing to their advantage, and one such person happened to be there. Pain shot through Ceres's furry body as she was lifted by her ears._

"I'll give you to Xian Pu!!" someone, a boy it sounded like, exclaimed happily in Chinese. _No! Ceres tried to shout. __I'm a girl! A girl__!! The boy who held her so painfully brought her up so she could see him. Bangs and coke-bottle glasses hid his young face. From what Ceres could see and guess, which wasn't much considering she was the Mini-Me of bunnies, he was tall and wearing Chinese clothes, "Hmmm. You're really small…I know! I'll put you in a stew and give __that to Xian Pu!" he grinned happily then stuck her inside his sleeve. Ceres would have dearly liked to bite his arm but unfortunately she couldn't find it. __His sleeves didn't seem quite this__ big……… Finally after several confusing, and dark, minutes Ceres was fished out of her cloth prison. She was now in a camp. Already the boy had a stew pot going with the contents rapidly boiling. __OhmygodOhmygodOhmygod! She kicked and squirmed. This boy had some nerve trying to skin and cook her! __Oh yeah I'm a bunny…wait a minute! I'm a bunny!! I have teeth!!! With this handy bit of knowledge Ceres bit her captor as hard as rabbitly possible. He cried out in pain and tossed her…_

Into his stew pot. Instead of becoming some chick's entrée, however, as soon as her furry body touched the hot water she discovered that she was human again. Everything from her lavender buns to her, and this was really embarrassing, completely naked body was back to normal. The boy who had tried to cook her stared at her as she stepped out of the very hot pot, took off his glasses, cleaned them, put them back on, blinked then began yelling.

"Demon bunny!!! DEMON BUNNY!!! I will destroy you!!"

"No!" Ceres cried, "I'm not a demon. I'm a girl. A normal everyday girl!" he looked at her funny, "Ok. Not _normal not since I was pushed into a cursed spring." He nodded and visibly relaxed._

"Your accent is _terrible," he told her. Ceres grinned._

"Thank-you. All the Chinese I know I learned partially from my mother and mostly from our guide, and I can hardly read it. I'm from Japan."

"That explains a lot," he reached over and touched a tear with his finger, "You've been crying."

"Yeah," he began rummaging around in his sleeve and within seconds pulled out a silk Chinese dress with long slits up either side, "Should I bother to ask where you keep all this stuff?"

"Ancient Chinese technique. Very handy I can tell you," he handed the garment to Ceres who ducked behind a bush and slipped into it, "Can I ask you your name Rabbit-Maiden?" he asked when she came back out and sat next to him.

"I'm not sure of the Chinese translation. In Japanese it's Misuka Ceres."

"I think it would be Tze Rez in Chinese tongue. It sounds better in your native tongue. Names usually do. I'm Mu Tzu."

"Mousse? Like the dessert?"

"Huh? I don't understand."

"Never mind. Can I ask you a question?"

"Ok."

"Why exactly are you out here looking for things to stew?" Mu Tzu blushed.

"I'm trying to prove myself."

"To who? And if I'm getting too personal tell me and I'll drop it."

"No I don't mind. I want to prove myself worthy of the hand of a warrior girl from my village."

"By making her lunch? No offense."

"I have nothing to offer her in the way of strength. She beats me every  time," Ceres smiled to herself, _Where have I heard that__ before? "So I have to prove my worth in some other way."_

"You have clothes that hold a mountain of… of…. _Stuff. If that doesn't impress the hell out of her than she's not worthy of __you," Mu Tzu grinned and blushed._

"Thank-you. You're very kind. But this technique is more common than you think…would you like to come to my village? I'm sure the Elder can find a suitable teacher for you…if you want to learn." Ceres considered this. _Why not? I don't have anything keeping me here._

"Lead on Squad Leader."

"What?"

"Um. Never mind."

************************************************************************

Mu Tzu's village, Ceres was shocked to discover, was that of a tribe of Chinese Amazons. At first she was tense, ready for any unexpected attacks but, as Mu Tzu had explained, the tribe was more than willing to welcome her. 

"You have the aura of a great fighter," he told her, "It's in the way you walk and hold yourself. The women respect that and the men find it insanely attractive."

"Oh…o-kay…" Mu Tzu was showing her around when he suddenly turned fire engine red. A second later Ceres figured out why. A girl about Ceres's own age of 16 was coming towards them. _Ah. Mousse's crush. I'd bet my life on it. The girl was pretty, skinny without appearing sickly, with long hair that was couple of shades darker than Ceres's lavender. _

"Nihao!" she said cheerfully, "I'm Xian Pu. Welcome to our village," Ceres bowed politely. Xian Pu grinned then turned to Mu Tzu and scowled, "Don't you have something _useful to do?" she asked pointedly. Mu Tzu muttered something about mending robes and ran off, "Why were you spending time with him?" Xian Pu wanted to know, "Men are so much weaker and not worth much. Except for breeding and to use as a punching bag."_

"Normally I'd disagree. But lately I've been thinking the same thing."

"You were called Tze Rez right?"

"Yes. It sounds better in Japanese believe me."

"I would much like to learn Japanese. Great-grandmother knows it but doesn't have time to teach me."

"I could teach you some. If you could teach me to read Chinese."

"You don't know how? But you speak it fairly well. Your accent is really bad but that can always be fixed and reading Chinese is so easy."

"To you perhaps. You've been reading and speaking it your entire life. Speaking Japanese comes easy for me but I doubt you will think so."

" I hope you will stay and teach me."

"I hope I can stay. I've always wanted to learn some of your fighting techniques."

"Well you will have to prove your worth but I doubt you'll have a problem with _that."_

************************************************************************

The elder of this particular Amazon village happened to be very, _very, old woman who was also Xian Pu's great-grandmother._

"So," she said as Ceres stood very straight  in front of her and an assembly of everyone, even the men, in the village, "So you, a Japanese foreign girl wish to join our tribe."

"Yes, Elder."

"Well you're polite that's one thing. What is your name?"

"Misuka Ceres."

"Mi-Misuka? One of my old students married a Misuka. Yes… I see her in you. You mother is Hibiki Nadeshiko?"

"Was. Both of my parents were in a car accident six years ago."

"I am sorry for your loss little one. Your mother was a wonderful woman and a great fighter. You must hear this often but you look very much like her," Ceres smiled.

"Thank-you."

"I knew your father as well. He was strong…for a man," she grinned which instead of making her look friendly, came off as being scary beyond all reason, "You enter this village under strange circumstance, yes?"

"I was pushed into an Accursed Spring."

"You were training?"

"That was the purpose. I was with a group of two boys and one of the boy's father. The father and son fell into the Spring of Drowned Panda and Drowned Girl. That was this morning. During the afternoon they were trying to find some way of reversing it. Well the father was. The two boys decided to play a little trick on me."

"They pushed you in?"

"One who I counted as a friend, yes. The Spring of Drowned Rabbit apparently. I took off for the woods and was found by Mu Tzu…he tried to uh…stew me," there was a ripple of laughter and more than one whispered "Way to go!" from the males.

"This boy. Would you be willing to take revenge for what he did to you?"

"If you forgive me for saying Elder, but I really don't believe in picking on those who are that much weaker than I."

"I see. Well let me offer you a proposition. If you fight this boy. And win. Then you will be re-born into this tribe. Push _him into an Accursed Spring. My Granddaughter and the one who found you shall accompany you as witnesses. Xian Pu. Mu Tzu. Come forward now."_

"But…but Great-grandmother why Mu Tzu? He is a man. He is not worthy of such and honor."

"As true as that is Xian Pu. He _is the one who found Ceres," she replied shrugging._

************************************************************************

Ceres might not have been so ready to shove Eriol into one of the springs if she had different blood flowing in her veins. Unfortunately, for Eriol really, her Hibiki blood was dominant and Hibiki blood meant honor and honor meant  a strong sense of justice. Eriol had caused her insult and he needed to atone for this injustice. Ceres looked around at all the springs and gulped. It would really, _really suck if she were to fall in another spring. Her escorts were concealed, silent witnesses to her test. Upon reaching Juesenkyo Xian Pu had wished her good luck and Mu Tzu had given her a quick hug (out of Xian Pu's line of vision obviously.)  __Good, Ceres thought as the camp came into view, __They haven't left yet. She walked over, glad that she was enough of a stoic so that none of the myriad  of feelings she now felt showed on her face, and stood over Eriol. It took a couple of seconds for him to wake up and a record total of 3.4 more seconds to recognize and hug the girl._

"Ceres! I'm so glad you'r-" he was abruptly cut off by the punch to the stomach. He fell to his knees, gasping and looked up at her.

"You _dare touch me after what you did? __You did this to my life. __You made it a disaster."_

"Wait a minute!"

"Thanks to you I have seen HELL!"

"Ceres-" she hauled him up by the collar and threw him towards the springs.

"Fight me. Now. Over the Accursed Waters."

"Over the- Ceres what are you-"

"_Now. You've already cursed me for no reason, do not dare deny me my revenge. As a student of Anything Goes Martial Arts you cannot refuse a challenge," Eriol, reluctantly and only after a death glare from Ceres, jumped onto a bamboo shoot. A second later Ceres joined him._

"This is _insane Reichi," Ceres's scowl deepened at the use of Eriol pet name for her. Instead of answering she chose to attack. Eriol, instead of blocking or sending an attack of his own merely jumped from shoot to shoot._

"If you keep jumping about like that sooner or later you'll fall in."

"Ceres stop this. I get it I've hurt you. I'm sorry," Ceres paused mid attack and settled (sorta) on a shoot.

"Sorry? You're _sorry?!? I AM HALF GIRL, HALF __BUNNY!!!" she began glowing a deep violet, the color of her eyes, "I never did anything to provoke you!" Eriol began hopping backwards, "Look at me! I'm a freak now!"  her hands were crossed over her chest. It was like all the tragedies that had occurred in her young life were being played in front of her eyes. Her Ki was heavy, so very heavy. It whistled as the outline thickened around the girl, "You don't know what it's been like for me," she whispered, tears forming in her eyes, "Shishi….Hoko…DAN!!" the Earth erupted as a huge wave of raw emotional Ki flew straight up. Eriol chanced a glance at Ceres's face. The expression the girl wore was enough to break his heart. He only saw it for a split second, however, as the Ki slammed back down to Earth with incredible force. Where there were springs and bamboo shoots, now there was only a crater. Eriol, it seemed, had managed to evade the brunt of the attack but couldn't evade it entirely and went flying into a spring just outside the ring of destruction. And in the middle of it all, still standing on her shoot, was Ceres. She stared at the horizon for a moment before falling headfirst off the shoot. Mu Tzu caught her just before she slammed into the ground. Xian Pu, he explained to the only semi-conscious girl, was running to the village to tell the Elder that she had passed the test and also that she would need a healer. Ceres nodded and passed out, unaware that she had nearly blown up half of the cursed springs, unaware that Ranma and Genma had slept through the whole thing, and unaware that a very wet raven had puled itself out of a spring and was now clumsily flying her way. _


	6. Chapter 6

The Ties That Bind

Chapter Six

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Disclaimer: You should know what I do and do not own by now.

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         The first thing that registered on Ceres's awareness was the cool cloth upon her forehead. The second was that she was missing the usual feeling of hair tickling the tip of her nose. It took some willpower, Ceres _really would've preferred sleep to anything else right now, but eventually she opened her eyes._

         "Oh good! You're up!" the young girl, wasn't older that 13 or 14 Ceres decided, clapped excitedly, "Lung Lung! Elder Sister! Rabbit girl woke up!" the girl ran from the room as Ceres groaned, _Rabbit girl? If that's my new Amazon name I may kill someone… the sound of running feet announced the arrival of humans seconds before Xian Pu, the girl who had announced her awakening and a third girl who Ceres assumed was Lung Lung._

         "How do you feel?" Xian Pu wanted to know.

         "Honestly? Like I got hit by something really hard," Ceres admitted, "A little confused as to how I got here, but other than that I feel great."

"Mu Tzu carried you here after you knocked the blue haired boy into a Spring. You've been sleeping for three days straight. You've been re-born into the tribe did you know?" Ceres shook her head, "Oh, well Ling Ling thought you had woken up yesterday and-"

"You had gotten out of bed!" the girl who had been there when Ceres woke up retorted, "You were walking around saying that you wished for a haircut."

"Well," Ceres admitted, "I do remember something about my hair….but I figured that was just a dream….erm….what did you _do exactly to my hair?"_

"Nothing," all three girls said quickly, too quickly in Ceres's opinion and she got up to see for herself. The moment she caught sight of herself in a nearby mirror her jaw dropped. Her hair was in buns shaped like rabbit's ears with a ponytail hanging down from each one. There were a pair of bells around each bun and a larger one affixed to her collar. Her long bangs had been cut to just above her eyes. There was no getting around it, she looked _cute!_

"Well?" Xian Pu asked, "Is it ok?"

"I'm….._adorable," Ceres breathed, "No wait, I'm __painfully adorable!" she looked down at her clothes. She wore an underdress that reminded her of a school uniform's shirt, same puffy sleeves but a different collar. This one was ended just under her chin in the Chinese fashion. Over the e\underdress was a strappy formfitting jumper like dress. Both under and overdress had a large slit that started on her right thigh and went all the way down to the end of her dress._

"The village seamstresses made it specially for you," Lung Lung explained, "She used a mixture of Chinese-style clothes and a description of what one might wear in Japan. She's got others than the one you're wearing now."

"So you have some for when you travel again," added Ling Ling, "Elder says that your nature as a warrior can't keep you in one place for long. So even though you are our Amazon sister, Hles Si, you are free to travel the world, completing your training."

"You talked in your sleep," Xian Pu informed her, "That's how we know that you want to leave as soon as you can. To go visit your family. I'm sorry you couldn't stay longer. But then, I must leave soon as well."

"Why?" Ceres wanted to know.

"Well, the day after you came we had a tournament."

"Oh? Who won?" Ceres asked, knowing all about these kind of tournaments from talking with the guide.

"I did. But then some outsider girl beat me." Ceres spit out the mouthful of water she had just almost swallowed.

"She, er, she didn't happen to be traveling with a huge panda was she?"

"Yes…" Ceres nodded encouragingly and went on.

"And did she have red hair?"

"Yes…"

"Was she traveling with another….something, besides the panda?"

"Do you mean that boy that you knocked into a spring? Nope. He stayed here. But you were right about everything else. Do you know her?"

"I've….seen her. Xian Pu!" she suddenly exclaimed, "Why are you hanging around here?!? You got to go find that girl!" Ceres, through her conversations with the guide, also knew that if an Amazon was beaten by a girl that she had to give the stranger the Kiss of Death and track her to the ends of the Earth.

"Well. I wanted to see if you were alright."

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Go! Go kill that nasty vixen who dares to beat an Amazon!" Xian Pu nodded resolutely and dashed out of the room. Lung Lung and Ling Ling followed suit and several moments later Mu Tzu walked in.

"I had to wait until all the girls had left," he explained to her quizzical look, "I wanted to give you this," he held out a raven.

"Kind of a strange gift Mu Tzu."

"It's not _quite a gift. See, you beat him in combat. He's yours," seeing that she had a blank look he added, "This is the boy whom you fought three days ago," Ceres looked hard at the bird. __Ravens don't have light blue eyes…do they?_

"Eriol?" the raven nodded solemnly. Ceres held out a timid arm and Eriol hopped onto it. She gently stroked his breast feathers with her finger, "Well, you haven't bitten me so I guess you're not angry that I did this to you," now that she had gotten rest, and salvaged her wounded pride, she kind of felt bad. Sure he had no right knocking her into the Spring of Drowned Rabbit, but did she have any right blasting him into the Spring of Drowned Raven? "I guess being a raven is better than being dead," she murmured, thinking of the large amount of pure Ki she had unleashed on him. Eriol nodded his agreement.

"He refused to leave your side at first," Mu Tzu told her, "Xian Pu finally had to threaten to cook him before he'd leave."

"I bet you wish I'd tell you that it's all ok and that we're even, right?" Eriol nodded, "It isn't Eriol. I doubt things will ever be alright with us. You don't understand how much a trick like that hurts me. You never will. And even though I feel bad about being the cause of your curse, I still hate you terribly. Do you understand?" another nod, "And it's for that reason that I'm not going to tell you how to reverse this thing," if nothing else the fact that the raven nearly fell off her arm in shock convinced her that this was in fact Ugami Eriol, "I'll take you home and reverse it there but after that you're on your own.


	7. Chapter 7

Ties that Bind

Chapter Seven

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Disclaimer: Since it's been a while let me refresh. I own nothing. Hell, I barely own Ceres. And Ceres owns Eriol so I can't claim him either. Can't claim Kuduo, that's Sharpsnout's. Ryo-kun, Ran-kun, both belong to Rumiko Takashi. Umm....I guess that's it.

At long last an update on this thing. Damn took me long enough huh? =^_^=() Oh well.....

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"It's going to rain," Eriol's astute observation was met with stony silence, "Really hard," silence, "Monsoon in fact," still more silence, "You don't care do you?" still no answer, "I love you Ceres, simply because you make for great conversations," this time he was graced with a Hibiki Death Glare©, something which his traveling companion had used on him a total of three hundred and twenty nine times in the past month. Eriol was lucky to be alive quite frankly.

Perhaps now is the time to explain the unlikely situation these two had been thrown into. How about we start with the girl? Misuka Ceres is sixteen years old and a martial artist. If you were to be technical you would say that the girl practices the Anything Goes Style of Martial Arts, ask Ceres however, and she would tell you that her style is her own: a mixture of her family's techniques and the few things that Saotome Genma taught her. Yes, Ceres, along with her traveling partner went with Ranma and his father on that hellish trip. The results? Whenever splashed with water Ceres now had the dubious pleasure of turning into a rabbit. How did that happen? Well, Ranma...being Ranma...and Eriol, who to this day claims temporary insanity decided to play a little joke on their female traveling partner. The joke would have worked if Ranma hadn't confused the Cursed Springs of Girl and Rabbit. So now Ceres turned into a rabbit. 

Her male companion is Ugami Eriol. Eriol is also a sixteen year old practitioner of Anything Goes Martial Arts, although truthfully the only reason Genma brought him along was because Eriol's father and Genma were friends. Ask anyone who knows him and they would tell you that Eriol was kind...to kind to be a martial artist. Ceres knew better. She had watched him when he thought no one was watching, he was quick, agile....if roused to anger he would be formidable indeed. Although...that was a big if. A more laid back young man Ceres had never seen. It was like he just didn't _care_. Ceres on the other hand had a dangerous temper. It was this said temper and need for revenge that landed Eriol with a curse of his own. In retribution for pushing her into the Spring of Drowned Rabbit, Ceres knocked him into the Spring of Drowned Raven using a ki blast that had kept her knocked out for a week. She had only just come around when she demanded to return to her home and family. The Amazon tribe that had adopted her were reluctant to let her leave...but in the end who was going to argue with her? It was nothing if not dangerous.

So there they were, heading back to their native Japan, Eriol attempting to make conversation and Ceres alternately glaring and growling at him. Eriol was teetering on the edge of death, furthermore he realized it and talked to the girl anyway. By his estimation, Eriol figured they had at _least_ another week and a half before they reached their hometown. Suddenly Eriol stopped short and Ceres crashed into his back. The girl let out what suspiciously sounded like a snarl and glared up at him.

"Gomen ne Ceres, I just had a distressing thought," Ceres gave him a look that clearly said that she didn't care and continued walking, "Don't you even want to hear it?" silence, "How can you be so cold? You _got_ your revenge on me already. What more to you want?" Ceres closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath.

"If I talk to you I run the risk of wanting to hurt you. I don't like you."

"Wow. I got two whole sentences out of you," Eriol marveled, "You obviously don't hate me as much as you say," Ceres glared at him.

"Words cannot begin to _describe_ how much I despise you, Ugami-san," Eriol sighed, she was being formal with her, bad sign...a bad sign indeed.

"That's ok Ceres. You can hate me all you want. I don't mind," Ceres shot him a look that promised trouble.

"Go fall off a cliff Ugami-san," she snapped, just then the sky opened up and poured. Ceres, in an unconscious effort to be a bit more like her cousin, had at some time during their travels bought a combat umbrella, which she had out an open in record time. Eriol was not as fortunate. Ceres closed her eyes again, she apparently was trying not to hurt him, and walked over to where a wet raven and his wet belongings sat, "We are going to stop for the night," she said, crouching down and putting his clothes into his pack before picking it up one-handed, "and in the next town we come across you are going to buy yourself an umbrella....." Eriol cawed and struggled to get off the ground. Flying was a skill he had yet to master.

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Camp was made and dinner cooking when Ceres heard the twig snap. Without pausing to think Ceres grabbed the nearest thing she could find and hurtled it at the source of the sound. There was a clank, she had thrown a frying pan, followed by the shouted,

"What the HELL!!!" Ceres froze. She knew that voice. A head emerged from the overgrowth, followed by a body. Ceres reached for something else to throw, just in case. Brown eyes partially covered by hair that was held back by a yellow bandana, glared at her, "You threw a frying pan at me. A _frying_ pan."

"How did I know you weren't a wild animal?" Ceres's cousin shook his head.

"You're in_sane_....Can I hug you or will you kill me?" Ceres put down her umbrella and was promptly hugged. She stiffened and a slight growl escaped her throat. Ryouga, knowing the warning signs released her, "What are you cooking?" he asked, sitting down. Ceres peered at him. For some reason she figured that he'd look different, but there was her cousin...same as always. Did she look different to him? She hadn't looked in a mirror since she left Shampoo's village. She didn't even remember what she looked like anymore, "Hello? Ceres?" Cere gave her head a shake, causing the bells in her hair to chime.

"Gomen ne Ryo-kun, I've been silent for the past month, I'm unused to speaking so much."

"Unused to–" Ryouga's eyes narrowed, "Are they treating you bad? I'll kill Ranma," Ceres shook her head.

"I'm not traveling with them. Eriol and I are on our way home," she replied, then narrowed one eye at Ryouga, "Why are _you_ out here?" Ryouga said nothing, "Why didn't you show up for your own challenge?" silence, "If you're looking for Ranma then you're in the wrong place. I don't know where he and his father are or even where they're headed," it was then that Eriol came into the small clearing, huddled under Ceres's umbrella.

"That's not rain, it's a friggin monsoo–_Ryouga?_"

"Eriol?"

"DUDE!"

"Look at you!!"

"Look at _you_!!" there was a pause.

"That's all I have."

"Yeah me too," Ceres shook her head, boys were weird. Really _really_ weird.. Ryouga sat back down next to his cousin.

"What are you making?"

"Stew. I have some ingredients left over from the Amazon tribe we came from."

"Ooo stew..." Ryouga sniffed at it, "What kind?"

"Pork," she replied while stirring. Beside her, Ryouga went ridged and pale.

"P..pork?"

"Mmhm. Wanna take the first taste?"

"NO!! I mean....no thank you..." Ceres looked up at her cousin, brows knitting together.

"You ok dude?" Eriol asked. Ryouga nodded emphatically.

"I'm fine," he replied in a voice that was not at all convincing.

"Jeeze Ryouga it's not like I killed the porker with my bare hands or anything...."

"I'm _fine_ Ceres," he all but growled at her. Ceres raised her hands, backing down.

"Ok ok. I take it you don't want any then?"

"No thank you," Ceres nearly winced, it sounded like he hurt his teeth forcing those words out like that.

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Gah....please forgive me for taking so long with this....and please also forgive me for it being so short.....oh and please forgive the fact that Ceres is a bit of a Mary Sue. I'm working on that part really. Annnnd please please forgive that the next update probably won't be for a hile. ::bows:: Arigato.


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